Updated: Which county has received the highest ANC payment this year?

Over €171 million has already been paid to farmers under the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) scheme this year.

ANC payments began to issue on September 19 and 79,830 of the eligible 100,152 applicants have been paid thus far. At the same time last year, just €166 million had been transferred to 76,500 farmers.

For farmers who have yet to receive payment under the scheme, the Department of Agriculture will be scheduling payment runs on a fortnightly basis.

Top counties

Figures obtained by AgriLand show that farmers along the western seashore have benefited most from ANC scheme payments.

However, this isn’t unusual; much of the land in this region is classified as being ‘disadvantaged’ under the terms and conditions set down under the scheme.

Farmers in Co. Galway accounted for almost 12% (€20.41 million) of all payments issued thus far; applicants in Co. Mayo have received 11.4% (€19.1 million) of all funds paid to date; and 8.5% (€14.5 million) of the scheme’s funds have been distributed to farmers in Co. Donegal.

Connacht and Ulster

As mentioned above, farmers in Connacht fill the top two spots when it comes to ANC payments. In addition, farmers in the counties of Roscommon, Sligo and Leitrim have received a combined total of €22 million under the scheme.

Advertisement

Furthermore, farmers in the three Ulster counties have received over €29 million in ANC payments. Topping these was Co. Donegal at €14.5 million.

Leinster and Munster

The figures also reveal the payments made to farmers in the provinces of Leinster and Ulster. Farmers in Co. Westmeath have received the highest level of payments in Leinster at almost €4.1 million. However, applicants in Co. Dublin have received just €188,196 under the scheme.

Applicants in Co. Kerry were the highest earners under the scheme in Munster. These farmers received €14.1m in total or an average payment of €2,410.

However, some €2.2 million was paid to applicants in Co. Waterford, representing an average paid of €2,142 for each applicant.